Combined aerobic and brain exercise can improve executive function among adolescent girls

Momeni, Maraym; Abedanzadeh, Rasool; Barati, Saeed Ahmadi · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.55860/ospn5503

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study investigates the effectiveness of aerobic exercise, video games, brain exercises, and a combined intervention on the executive functions of adolescent girls. Motivated by the critical role of prefrontal cortical development during adolescence and the prevalence of impulsive behaviors in this demographic, the research aims to determine whether specific physical and cognitive training protocols can enhance inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. While previous studies have examined aerobic exercise or video games individually, there is limited evidence regarding combined interventions that integrate physical activity with brain-specific exercises. The researchers employed a randomized controlled trial design with 48 female students aged 11 to 17 from secondary schools in Ahvaz, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups: aerobic exercise, video game, brain exercise, and a combined group. The intervention lasted four weeks, consisting of three 20-minute sessions per week. The aerobic group performed walking and running at 60–75% of maximum heart rate. The video game group played a jump rope game on mobile devices. The brain exercise group engaged in activities such as cross-lateral movements and breathing exercises. The combined group participated in a mix of all three modalities. Executive functions were assessed using the N-back task for working memory, the Stroop Test for inhibitory control, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task for cognitive flexibility, with measurements taken at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results demonstrated significant improvements in executive functions across all intervention groups. Specifically, aerobic exercise, video games, and the combined intervention significantly improved working memory scores compared to baseline. Inhibitory control improved significantly in all four groups, including the brain exercise group. Cognitive flexibility, measured by error reduction, also showed significant improvements in all groups. The combined intervention was particularly effective, showing significant gains in working memory and inhibitory control, alongside improvements in cognitive flexibility. Statistical analysis confirmed significant time effects for all outcome measures, indicating that the interventions successfully enhanced cognitive performance. The study concludes that a combined training approach incorporating aerobic exercise, video games, and brain exercises is effective in improving executive functions in adolescent girls. These findings suggest that such interventions can help reduce impulsivity and support cognitive development during a critical period of brain maturation. The authors recommend that educators and sports coaches implement these combined training strategies to enhance cognitive and academic outcomes in teenagers. However, the study acknowledges limitations, including the absence of a no-intervention control group, a small sample size, and the lack of physiological biomarkers to explain underlying mechanisms. Future research should address these gaps to further validate the efficacy of combined physical and cognitive training programs.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-25; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• executive function